IRELAND’S BOOZE TIMEBOMB

Top doc’s alert as 50% say binge-drinking ‘no big deal’

IRELAND is facing a health timebomb with half of us believing binge-drinking is “no big deal”, it emerged yesterday.

A Drinkaware study found one-in-two people dismiss the dangers of boozing to excess while 73% think it is just part of Irish culture. Chief Medical Officer Dr Liam Twomey said: “The trends are worrying, but not surprising. “Bank Holiday weekends are a prime time for alcohol misuse and binge-drinking.”

HALF of Irish people think excessive drinking is “no big deal” and many want to consume less but struggle once they start, a survey has found. The Drinkaware study has confirmed our dysfunctional relationship with alcohol as it revealed many people having a “worrying attitude” towards heavy boozing. Recent OECD figures also found three quarters of alcohol is consumed as part of a binge session. Drinkaware’s Dr Liam Twomey said he is not surprised by some of the findings, adding: “Our recent research revealed trends which are worrying but not surprising. “Bank Holiday weekends are a prime time for alcohol misuse and for binge drinking episodes. “Even when people aren’t ‘drinking to get drunk’, we see evidence of all-day drinking at parties, barbecues or family gatherings. Even drinking moderately over a long period of time can amount to excessive drinking when calculated over the whole weekend.” The survey also found: One-in-two people believe drinking to excess is “no big deal” 73% say boozing to excess is just a part of Irish culture, and 27% believe drink-driving is “less of an issue” in recent years. More than 30,000 people have been monitoring their consumption using Drinakware’s calculator. Dr Twomey added: “I meet many patients in my practice who want to reduce their drinking but simply aren’t sure where to start. “A tool like our new Standard Drink Measure Cup will help people accurately keep track of exactly how much they are drinking.” For more information visit www. drinkaware.ie.